Mechanism for notching and feeding body blanks to body makers



May 20, 1930. J. E. BRATT ET Al.. 1,759,683

NOTCHING AND FEEDING BODY BLANKS TO BODY MAKERS MECHANISM. FOR

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 2. 192B May 20, 1930. J. E. BRATT ET AL. 1,759,683

MECHANISM FOR` NOTCHING AND FEEDING BODY BLANKS TO BODY MAKERS Filed Feb. 2. 192s 4 sheets-smet 2 May 20, 1930. J. E. BRAT-r ET AL 1,759,683

MECHANISM FOR NOTGHNG AND FEEDING BODY BLANKS TO BODY MAKERS Filed Feb. 2. 1928 4 sheets-sheet 5 rvu/eraf ra /Mlw @mi May 20, 1930. 1 E BRA-TT AL 1,759,683 l MECHANISM Fon NOTCHING AND FEEDING BODY BLANKS To BODY MAKERS Filed Feb.' 2. 1928 4 Sheets-sheet 4 J7 v J0 ef vide a notching Patented May 20, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE JAMES EDWARD BRATT-AND CHARLES HUNTER BOYD, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, AS- SIGNORS TO CONTINENTAL CAN COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK MECDANISM FOB. NOTCHING AND FEEDING BODY BLANES TO BODY MRS Application led February 2, 1928'. Serial No. 251,279.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a mechanism for notching and feeding bod blanks to a body maker, and more particular y to a body maker for forming and completing cylindrical can bodies. It isa common expedient to feed body blanks from a magazine to the forming rolls of bodyr makers, so that the body blank is rolled into a cylindrical body. It is also a common expedient to notch a body blank onfits Way from the magazine to the forming rolls. The body blank is fed b either reciprocating devices or endless fee chains with lugs thereon for moving the body blank, and the magazine and notching devices are necessarily spaced at some distance from the forming rolls.

An object of the present invention is to provide rotating feeding devices for feeding the body blank from the notching mechanism into the feeding rolls whereby the feeding devices ma be placed close to the forming rolls and li ewise the magazine and notching mechanism close to the feeding devices.

A further object of the invention is to.v promechanism 'and feedin devices of the a ove type, wherein the ody blanks may be fed from the magazine located directly above both the notching mechanism and the feeding devices into position to be notched andto be engaged by the feeding degaged thereby;

vices and fed forward to the forming rolls.

A still'further object of the invention is to provide an organized mechanism of the above,

type, wherein the body blank is removed from the'magazine by a suction cup, which suction cup positions the blank for notching and also for engagement by the feeding devices.

A still furtherobj ect of the invention is to provide an organized mechanism of the above type, wherein the bodyblank is moved in two` directions only as it passes from the magazine into lthe forming rolls, one of which is a downward direction whereby it is placed for notching, and theother of which is a forward direction, whereby it is delivered to the forming rolls. l

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings which show by way of 1ldevices and the forming rolls, and their relag tion to each other;

Fig. 5 is a detail showing the position of the uiper feeding device as the bla-nk is move downward into position to be en- Flg. 6 is al view similar to Fig. 5, showing the blank still on its downward movement, and the feeding device as moving over the blank;

Fig. 7 is a'view similar to Fig. 5', but showing theblank as in engagement with the lower rotating feeding device and about to be engrammatically a side 'view of the gauges or which position the blankfor notching and feeding to the forming rolls;

lFig..10 is a plan view showing the blank and the position of the gauges relative thereto, and A f Fig. 11V is a section through the supporting bracket and bed on the line 11-11 of Fig. 3.

Thepinvention is directed to a feeding and\ notching mechanism for a body'maker, and

more'particularly to a feeding and notchng mechanism for a body maker for making cylindrical can bodies. A type of body .inaker such as ma be used in connection with the improved eeding and notchin mechanism is shown in the patent granted F. Warme, April 21, 1914, No. 1,094,179. YIn this ,type of body maker, a body blank which is a rectangular piece of metal, is fed between shown diagrammatically forming rolls which roll the body blank into a cylinder about a horn. Traveling devices engage and move the formed body through the machine after theledge portions arey joined to form a side seam. In the machinev referred to, the edges are lapped and soldered, thus forming a lap seam. The blanks are placed in a magazine constructed so that they may be withdrawn one at a time from the lower end thereof. This isaccomplished by means of a suction or vacuum cup or cups which have a vertical movement, so as to be brought into en agement with the lowermost blank, and the ownward movement of the suction cup will withdraw the blank from the magazine. Directly beneath the magazine at one end thereof, is the notching mechansm, which includes a support for the blank on to which the body blank is placed by the downward movement of the suction cups. The suction cu s will place the blank in a predetermine position on the support forming a part of the notching mechanism. The notching mechanism includes a rotating member having projecting cutting devices which, as

.the member rotates, engages the blank and notches the same. The other end ofthe body blank is moved by the suction cups into engagement with the feeding devices. \The feeding devices include two rotating rolls.

. The lower roll is a solid roll, while the upper roll is hollow and is cut away to form a segment of a roll. The open space between the ends of the segment is so positioned that when the blank is moved down by the suction cups,

' the end thereof is moved into this s ace, and

thus it is that the forward end o the segment roll can move over the blank and finally come down into engagementwith the blank so as to grip the blank against the lower feed roll and move it forward. These feeding 'devices are so close to the forming rolls that the blank will be fed into gripping engagement with the forming rolls while it is still posi,- tively gripped by the rotating feeding devices.

Referring more in detail to the drawings the invention is shown as applied to a body maker, only a Very small portion of which is shown i'n the drawings. The body maker is provided with a horn 1 indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 1. Directl above this horn are the forming rolls 2, 2. (looperating with the forming rolls, is the usual curling plate 3. The structure of the head carrying the forming rolls and curling plate is similar to that disclosed inthe patent granted J. E. Abrams, February 15, 1910, No. 949,7 22. A body blank delivered to these forming rolls will berolled into cylindrical form around the horn 1, and will then be moved endwise through the machine where the side seam is formed. The forming rolls 2, 2 are mounted in a suitable bracket 4 which forms a part of thetbody maker. Carried by the frame of the machine is a supporting-bed 5 which extends outwardly froma the forming rolls 2, 2. Directly above the bed 5 is a magazine for the stacked blanks which are formed into the can bodies. Said magazine includes side plates 6, 6 with an a'ngle bar 7 at each end of each plate. The angle bar 7 is attached to the plate by means of a bolt 8. These angle plates 7 form the end Walls'of the magazine. They are spaced from each other. The angle bars 7, 7 at the outer end of the magazine are connected by a cross bar 9. Mounted on this cross bar 9 is a cone-shaped -plate 10, the inner edge 11 of which passes a short distance underneath the body blank in the magazine, the edge of which is substantially in contact with the inner faces of the angle bars 7. Thus it is that a stack of body blanks may in part be supported b this cone-shaped plate 10. Midway the si e plate 6 at one side of the machine, there is a similar cone-shaped plate l thereon, it will pull the .lowermost bodyl blank by the supporting lates, thus releasing the same from the stac This construction of a magazine whereby the lowermost body blanks are released from the stacked sheets, forms no part of the present invention per se, and other forms of magazines may be used.

The blanks are removed from the magazine by means of one or more suction cups. There are two suction cups shown in the drawings, and indicated at 16, 16. These suction cups are carried by a supporting standard 17, which slides vertically in suitable ways rovided therefor. This standard is move up and down by means of a swinging lever 18 operated by a crank 19 mounted on a. shaft porting plates for the stack, are posts which form the side gauges for the blank. These posts are indicated at 200 in the drawings, and as shown, there are two posts for each lside of the magazine. The inner face of each post as indicated, at 201. This is for the purpose of insuring that the blank will, through these tapered or slabbed faces of the posts, be shifted, if necessary, to brin the edges thereof into position so,as to pass own alongside of the gaugingface of each post. The blanks are cut to a predetermined width, and the gauge posts can be set so that the blank will be gauged thereby and properly positioned transversely of the blank for notching and for feeding forwar'd to the forming rolls after it has been notched. There is a gauge -post 202 at the outer end of the blank. This auge post 202 is provided with an inycline inner face 203 terminating at a shoulder 204. Directly beneath the shoulder 204 is the gauging face 205 of this post. When the blank is drawn down by the suction cups from the magazine, the inner edge of the blank will engage the inclined face 203.

- These gauge posts are-inserted in suitable openingsin the bed which are shaped so as to support the same. The suction cups are made of yielding material, and'without releasing their grip on the blank, will permit the blank to move endwise slightly, or sidewise slightly, lfor the. roper positioning of the blank relative to t e gauges. Thus 1t is that the blank will move endwise after it engages the inclined face 203. As the suction cup shoulder 204, it will straighten Outland make contact with the gauging face 205, and this is the active gauging e ement ofV this end post. Through these gauges referred to, the blank is properly positioned for notching,'and also after 1t is notched, for engagement by the feeding "devices, so that it will'be fed forward into the forming rolls. The blank, of course, is in contact with a supporting plate 21 while it is being notched.

The plate 21 is in fact, a part of the notching mechanism which also includes a rotating shaft 22 on which are mounted two notching members 23, 23, one at each corner of the outer nd of the blank. This shaft 22 rotates continuously. The member 23 is provided with tw`o cutters 24 and 25 which` are diametrically opposed to each other. The plate 21 is shaped so that the cutter as it rotates, will come down on to the body blank and cut or notch the body blank'. Of course,v the!3 rotating shaft 22 is soI timed that the suction cu will lay the blank on the plate 21 before t e cutter moves over the top of the blank and down on to the same for notching. At thepother end of the magazine, and directly beneath the same, is located the rotating feeding devices for feeding the blank forward into the forming rolls after it .is notched. These feeding devices include a is some distance from the end of the blank, the blank will curve slightly at the -end thereof which contacts with this gauge post 202.. As soon as the blank passes the lower feed roll 26 and an upper feed roll 27. These feed rolls are positlvely rotated by suitable means. The upper fee'd roll is mounted in journals 27Il which are yieldingly pressed downwardly by suitable springs 27h so as to yieldingly hold the rolls 1n contact with each other. The manner of mounting the feed rolls may be widely varied, however, without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

The upper feed roll is formed with a recess 28 which extends for a distance greater than the width of the body blank. This recess, in effect, forms a hollow cylindrical roll. The roll is cut away so as to form a segment, the ends of which are indicated at 29 and 30. The upper feed roll turns in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in the drawings, and the lower feed roll turns in a clockwise direction. These rolls are positively driven and rotate continuously. The body blank is indicatedY at B in the drawings. The upper feeding vroll is so timed that when the body blank is moved down by the suction cup, the end 29 of the upper segment roll is positioned so that the blank ma be moved into the recess.- The center of t e roll lies in a vertical plane inside the extreme inner edge' of the body blank. `As the body blank continues its downward movement, it moves into the recess 28, as shown in Fig. 6, and the advance end of the segment roll will move over the top of the blank. Thus it is that the blank is brought down directly into contact with the lower roll 26 as shown in Fig. 7. After the blank en ages the lower roll, the advancing end Aof t e upper segmental roll is still outof contact with the blank, so that the blank will remain'on the lower roll an appreciable time before the upper segmental roll makes contact therewith. It is during this interval of time that the notching takes place, and after the blankv is notched, then it is in condition to move forward into the forming rolls. In Fig. 8, the upper segmental roll is shown as having moved into engagementy with the body blank so that the v body blank is gripped between the rolls and is being moved forward to the forming rolls. There is a suliicient'length of feeding surface on the upper segmental roll so as to carry the blank clear into the forming rolls.

From the above, it will be apparent that.

a notching mechanism has been provided wherein a body blank may be fed from the magazine directly downward and placed for notching inthe notching mechanism. It will also be noted that a feeding mechanism has been provided whereby the blank when it is positioned for notching, Iis positioned also for engagement by the feeding mechanism, and as soon as it is notched, the blank will be at once engaged lby a continuously rotating feeding mechanism and move forward into the feeding rolls. lThe blank on its wav'from the magazine to the formingfrolls moves only in two directions, first, a downward direction and then a forward direction. Furthermore, the feeding devices may be placed very close to the forming rolls so that the interval of time between the removal of a body blank from the magazine and the delivering of the same to the forming rolls is very short. This provides a notching and feeding mechanism wherein the blanks may be delivered very rapidly to the body maker, and the body maker operated at very lhigh speed. ,The notching and feeding mechanism may be used in conjunction with either a la seam body maker or a lap and lock seam ody maker. It may be used in conjunction with a body maker which rolls a cylindrical body about a horn below the forming rolls, or which rolls a cylindrical can bodyr about a horn which is above the forming rolls. The invention is directed to the handling of the blank between the magazine and the forming rolls. It will be understood from certain aspects of the invention, the notching mechanism shown and described may be used in conjunction with other ty es of feeding devices, and also that the ceding devices may be used in conjunction with other types of notchin devices. It is further obvious that minor c anges in the details of construction and the arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. I

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a body maker, the combination of forming rolls, notching mechanism, means for feeding the bodyv b anks to the notching mechanism, and rotating feeding devices disposed between the forming rolls and the notchin mechanism for engaging and moving a b ank from the-notching mechanism into the forming rolls.

2. In a body maker, the combination of forming rolls, a ma azine for the body blanks, a notching mec anism, means for delivering the llanks from the magazine to the notching mechanism, and rotating feeding ldevices disposed between the formi-ng rolls and the notching mechanism for engaging and moving the blanks from the notching mechanism into the forming rolls.

3. In a body maker, the combination of forming rolls, a notching mechanism, a magazine for body blanks located above said notching mechanism, means for feeding the blanks from the magazine to the notchmg mechanism by a downward movement of the blank, and means for feeding the blank from the notching mechanism in an endwlse direction into the forming rolls.

4. In a body maker, the combination of forming rolls, a notching mechanism, a magazine for body blanks located above said notching mechanism, means for feeding the blanks from the magazine to the notching mechanism by a downward movement of the blank, and means for feeding the blank from the notching mechanism in an endwise direction into the forming rolls, said means for feeding the blanks from the magazine including a suction cup for holding and placing the blanks in a predetermined position in the notching mechanism.

5. In a body maker, the combination of formin rolls, a notching mechanism, rotatin feeding devices disposed between the forming rolls and the notching mechanism for engaging and moving the blanks from the notching mechanism into the forming rolls, a magazine, and means for feeding a body blank from the magazine to the notching mechanism and rotating feeding devices.

6. In a body maker, the combination of formin rolls, rotating feeding devices located cose to said forming rolls, a magazine for sheet metal blankslocated above the feeding devices,/said feeding devices including an upper segmental feeding roll having a central recess, and means for feeding theblank from the magazine past the end of the segment of the roll and into Contact with the lower feeding device, whereby the segmental roll as it continues its rotation, will grip the blank against the lower feeding device and move the same forward into the forming rolls.

7 In a body maker, the combination of forming rolls, a notching mechanism including rotating notching members, rotating `feeding rolls for engaging and feeding the blank om the notching mechanism into the forming rolls, a magazme above the notching mechanism and feedin rolls, and means for feeding a body blank rom the magazine simultaneously into proper position to be notched and to be engaged by the feeding rolls for feeding the same forward after it is notched.

' 8. In a body maker, the combination of forming rolls, a notching mechanism including rotating cutters for notching thebody blank, a magazine for the body blanks` located above said notching mechanism, means for feeding the blanks from the magazine to the notching mechanism by a downward movement of the blank, and means for feeding the blank from the notching mechanism into the forming rolls.

9. In a body maker, the combination of forming rolls, a notching mechanism including rotating cutters for notching the body blank, 'a magazine for body blanks located above said notchin mechanism, means for feeding the blanks rom the magazine to the notching mechanism by a downward movement of the blank, and rotating feeding devices for engaging and feeding the blank from the notching mechanism into the forming rolls.

10. In a body maker, the combination of forming rolls, a notehing mechanism including rotatingcutters for notchin the body blank, gauging devices for positioning the blanks for notehing, and means for feeding the blank after it is notched to the forming rolls.

11. In a body maker, the combination of forming rolls, a notching mechanism including rotating cutters for notehing the body blank, gauging devices for positioning the blanks for notehing, and rotating feeding devices disposed between the forming rolls and the notehing mechanism for engaging and movin the blanks from the notehing mechanism mto the forming rolls.

12. In a body maker, the combination of forming rolls, a notehing mechanism, rotating feeding rolls independent of the forming rolls for engaging and feeding the lblank from the notehing mechanism into the forming rolls, a magazine above the notehing mechanism and feeding rolls, and means for feeding a blank from the magazine simnltaneonsly into proper position to be notched and to be engaged by the feeding rolls for feeding the same forward after it is notched to the forming rolls.

13. In a body maker, the combination of forming rolls, a supporting bed along which the blanks may be fed to the forming rolls, a magazine above said supporting bed, rotatin feeding rolls for engagin and feeding the b anks into the forming rol s, and means for feeding the blanks from the ma azine v onto the bed in position tosbe engaged y the feeding rolls for feeding the same forward into the forming rolls.

In testimony whereof, we affix our signatures.

JAMESl EDWARD BRATT. CHARLES HUNTER BOYD. 

